The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mja345

Crash and burn? The video below would beg to differ.

[Show spoiler]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id7DLq7bpTw

Helloooooooo, Moon Bloodgood.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by captainron_howdy

Add Sid & Nancy, Rebecca, & Straw Dogs also. I'm sure they're good upgrades, all of them. Well, I know Straw Dogs is, but this is just pretty disappointing that they couldn't give us something for X-mas.

I think Criterion wanted to pounce on the license of a bunch of movies they have previously released on DVD but which went out of print. And once they had the license, the fact that the movies already had HD masters ready to start from made it easier to get them done quickly. (Since they were relatively low effort in that sense, it may have also made it easier to devote resources to the Olympic set.)

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by cropduster

You should definitely add it to the top of your watch pile. It's such a beautiful and inspiring film with touching performances from Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek. This David Lynch film seems to get lost in all the talk of his other work, which is a shame as it's a great film in its own right. I'm praying one of these days Disney(or someone who rescue's the film from Disney's clutches) will finally release a blu-ray of The Straight Story.

I'd love to see Farnsworth's The Grey Fox released. Weather by Criterion or someone else. To my knowledge it didn't even get a DVD release. I haven't seen it since the VHS era but remember it fondly.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

My two cents...

Alexander Payne is one of very few film makers left whose films I will make it a point to see and I think Election is his second best after Sideways.

No love for About Schmidt? Nicholson is a revelation in that movie.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by jw007

No love for About Schmidt? Nicholson is a revelation in that movie.

So is Kathy Bates!

[Mr.F]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

Nicole Kidman is not a very good actress. I'll take Reese Witherspoon over her any day of the week, and I don't think Reese is amazing either. But at least Reese is an engaging personality onscreen. Nicole is drier than dry ice. She won an Oscar for The Hours, an overrated movie with an overrated performance by Nicole Kidman where her prosthetic nose did all the acting for her. Julianne Moore acted rings around her.

Here's what she thinks about all this

[Mr.F]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Legally Blonde, though... ?! I'd fathom a guess that those who think that film is a comic masterpiece also think the same about My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I haven't seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding since it came out when I was 12 but I remember it being harmless and entertaining. I just think that it has a bad reputation due to its gargantuant success despite being such a simple film.

But I have seen Legally Blonde many times over the years and it hold mup incredibly well every time. Its fan base continues to grow and it unspired a weĺl-reviewed Broadway musical.

Alas, comedy is the most subjective genre. For example: I did not care about Tootsie at all, but I'm not going to dispute its place in the cannon because people clearly love it and has stood the test of time for a reason

I will say, however that it would deserve to be in the collection more than a number of titles that are already in but I'll leave it at that because what's the point

[Poya]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

Nicole Kidman is not a very good actress. I'll take Reese Witherspoon over her any day of the week, and I don't think Reese is amazing either. But at least Reese is an engaging personality onscreen. Nicole is drier than dry ice. She won an Oscar for The Hours, an overrated movie with an overrated performance by Nicole Kidman where her prosthetic nose did all the acting for her. Julianne Moore acted rings around her.

She just won 2 Emmys, one of them for acting. Reese, meanwhile, won 1 and only for producing. Yeah, Kidman's the better actor. That's a fact.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Mr.F

Here's what she thinks about all this

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by Poya

She just won 2 Emmys, one of them for acting. Reese, meanwhile, won 1 and only for producing. Yeah, Kidman's the better actor. That's a fact.

You realize that means nothing, right? So many great actors have lost to inferior actors, or have been shut out of nominations altogether. Heck, there were multiple examples of that in this year's Emmys alone! Maybe Kidman was better than Reese in Little Big Lies - I don't know - I haven't seen the show. That doesn't change my opinion that Kidman is an overrated actress and I'd rather watch Reese any day of the week (and again, I don't even love Reese). A boring awards show isn't going to change how I feel.

Originally Posted by Mr.F

I haven't seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding since it came out when I was 12 but I remember it being harmless and entertaining. I just think that it has a bad reputation due to its gargantuant success despite being such a simple film.

This thread is the first I've ever heard of any backlash for My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I swear, some Criterion fans are way too snooty for their own good. As I said in an earlier post:

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

I've never seen Legally Blonde, but I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding the other night and it still holds up. Comedy masterpiece? I don't know. But a Criterion of Greek Wedding would hardly be out of line. There are several reasons to consider it.

[cropduster]

Originally Posted by mja345

Crash and burn? The video below would beg to differ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id7DLq7bpTw

I wish his career would have gotten a second wind from this role and he continued playing this same character in every movie he did after this movie. It would have been glorious.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Poya

She just won 2 Emmys, one of them for acting. Reese, meanwhile, won 1 and only for producing. Yeah, Kidman's the better actor. That's a fact.

No, it's not.

[batman2000]

chasing amy with a new transfer and loads of extras

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Legally Blonde, though... ?! I'd fathom a guess that those who think that film is a comic masterpiece also think the same about My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Have you actually SEEN it, or are you just talking out of your ass cause you heard it was for dummies? That's a really tricky part to get the tone just right in, and I'd put it right up there with her roles in Freeway, Election and Wild. I, too, dismissed it like this, but that was before I'd seen it. I non-ironically loved it. It's VERY subversive, it just also works on a "surface" level and most definitely has that reputation.

I generally think Reese Witherspoon is much better than Nicole Kidman when comparing their decent material (aka rarely for either), but Kidman's work in the back half of Big Little Lies really is really great and it's the most impressed with her I've ever been. Other than that, I've never been a big fan, besides maybe in "To Die For."

[belcherman]

I swear that if Criterion's December announcements weren't such a big let-down for folks here, people would be talking about them instead debating whether Nicole Kidman or Reese Witherspoon is a better actress. As for the announcements, here are my personal reactions (raise your hand everyone who cares):

100 Years of Olympic Films: 1912–2012: This actually is a big deal and I applaud Criterion for putting it out. I can't think of any other company that would attempt it and it will probably be a money-loser for them. I see the audience for it as institutions (libraries and schools) and well-heeled film/sports fans. I won't be buying it, but again, I appreciate them putting it out. If they had only announced that set for December, it would have been a major month for them.

Election: I never bought the current blu of this film and I'm not sure that I'll buy the Criterion release, but I don't understand the hate this announcement is getting. Yeah, it's another double-dipper, but the current blu can use improvement and the extras seem worth the premium. Is it a great film? Not in my opinion, but Alexander Payne's films are always interesting and entertaining, and that's a pretty good record for any film-maker. Nebraska just might be a great film; anyway, it's my favorite of his. I think that Bruce Dern's entire career was leading him to that role. Reese Witherspoon is no Bruce Dern, but she's very good in Election.

Monterey Pop and The Complete Monterey Pop Festival: I'm not sure why Criterion felt compelled to "upgrade" these before upgrading some of their other titles that have yet to appear on blu, especially since some of those titles have appeared on blu in other markets. I guess it's good for people who didn't buy the previous blu of these titles and now they'll get the benefit of the latest improvements. I'm one of those who currently own the previous blu. I will not be updating.

General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait: Other than the Olympic set, this to me is the most interesting announcement of the month, although I don't generally buy documentaries. That's kind of why I have Filmstruck, for movies that I'm pretty sure I'll only want to watch once. A movie I would buy, however, would be Schroeder's Barfly. Hint, hint.

All in all, I think this has been a decent year for Criterion, although the titles I'm most excited about are those from the Warner catalog. I'm still so excited about The Philadelphia Story that Criterion could have released nothing in December and I'd have given them a passing grade for the year.

[cakefactory]

Yeah, I think a lot of people are just uninterested in anything documentary (I am including myself in this - I think Hoop Dreams, Buena Vista Social Club and Night and Fog are the only three I've bought from them), so we're left ONLY with something with Reese Witherspoon. Ah well. I REALLY don't mind tangential discussions, I don't know why some people do. I guess you should be glad it's not like the Code Red thread.

[MifuneFan]

They gave us Le Samourai the previous month, I am allowing them to have a couple of off months in lieu of that

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

Nicole Kidman is not a very good actress. I'll take Reese Witherspoon over her any day of the week, and I don't think Reese is amazing either. But at least Reese is an engaging personality onscreen. Nicole is drier than dry ice. She won an Oscar for The Hours, an overrated movie with an overrated performance by Nicole Kidman where her prosthetic nose did all the acting for her. Julianne Moore acted rings around her.

I have no idea a fake nose could act. Weird.

[SammyJankis]

Soo..

Has anyone seen Irma Vep? It's playing here tomorrow night on 35. I'm a sucker for anything involving Cheung, and Assayas is always interesting, even when I don't care for what I'm seeing.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

They gave us Le Samourai the previous month, I am allowing them to have a couple of off months in lieu of that

Agreed. People are also quick to forget December 2010 and the release of the BBS set 11 days before Christmas.

[Cremildo]

She just won 2 Emmys, one of them for acting. Reese, meanwhile, won 1 and only for producing. Yeah, Kidman's the better actor. That's a fact.

Hilary Swank has 2 Oscars.
Liv Ullmann and Glenn Close have none.
Who's the better actress?

(I'm not arguing Reese is better than Nicole, just illustrating how ridiculous the amount-of-awards argument is)